Renewables & Modern Energy Solutions

The Czech Republic is heavily dependent on fossil fuels. The government has not yet decided on a date for phasing out coal. The expansion of nuclear power remains at the centre of the energy policy debate, while renewable energies are viewed critically. The Czech Republic has already exceeded its target for the expansion of renewable energy by 2020, but the new targets are unambitious and do not reflect the latest technical and economic developments. The project aimed to improve the national climate strategy and create the conditions for more ambitious targets.

The project combined political and public measures: Firstly, the project addressed the Czech government and policy makers and promoted renewable energy and modern energy solutions through studies and analyses. Secondly, the project provided municipalities with best practices developed in other countries as part of municipal energy projects. Thirdly, examples of modern energy solutions for businesses and households that offer convincing benefits were presented to raise awareness among the population. At the same time, the opportunities and potential of renewable energies were discussed with the media to inform the public.

The project has used various measures to encourage the public and local decision-makers in the Czech Republic to rethink renewable energies. To this end, the potential of climate-friendly solutions was emphasised and the fact that it makes sense and is possible to only rely on fossil fuels to a limited extent. This motivated decision-makers in the Czech Republic to increase the share of renewable energy in the energy mix and ultimately replace all fossil fuels.

• Government paves the way for solar auctions: Dialogue events organised as part of the project helped change the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade's stance on renewable energies. The government subsequently supported auctions for photovoltaic and biogas plants and created a stable legal framework for new projects. This significantly boosted the expansion of solar energy in Czechia. 
• Broad coalition for Czech solar energy: Almost 600 representatives from companies, local authorities and civil society joined forces in the project to form a broad coalition in support of renewable energies. This significantly increased social and political support for the expansion of renewable energies – a signal that strengthens political decision-makers and generates public attention. 
• Improvements to the modernisation fund: Based on expert commentary and media work, and in cooperation with the Association for Modern Energy and other professional associations, the Committee for Sustainable Energy succeeded in adjusting the conditions for the modernisation fund so that photovoltaic projects can also be funded on former coal mining sites. This enabled the restart of large solar projects, contributed to the reduction of fossil fuels and CO₂ emissions, and created jobs in structurally weak regions. 
• Awareness-raising promoted participation: webinars, online debates, infographics and articles clearly communicated the economic advantages of renewable energies and provided knowledge about hydro- and agrivoltaics and the recycling of solar modules. This raised public awareness, debunked myths and motivated both the population and businesses to actively participate in the energy transition.